Should You Trust the Weighing Scale?

 It may come as a surprise to many people when they're told that the weighing scale has caused more people to quit on their weight loss journey than any other issue. Weight loss is a mind game, and not a physical one.

Contrary to popular belief, most people are motivated enough to start exercising and eating better in the hopes of losing weight. All these efforts are undertaken in the hopes of seeing the numbers on the weighing scale drop.

But what happens if the numbers don't change?

Then they get disappointed and feel like their efforts are in vain. Some people make the monumental mistake of weighing themselves daily expecting to see weight loss.

By doing this, they're putting themselves on an emotional roller coaster that wreaks havoc on their mind game. On a day when they see a drop in the numbers, they're ecstatic. On a day when the numbers go up slightly, they hate their lives and feel like quitting.

Don't Rely the Weighing Scale
The truth of the matter is that a scale NEVER gives the full picture. You may have lost a pound today, and the next day you see that you've gained it back. What you think is a pound of fat could just be the body retaining water on that day.

Your body weight fluctuates all the time due to a variety of factors. Ideally, you should only weigh yourself once a week, and even then, you should take the numbers with a pinch of salt.

If you're training hard and engaging in weight training, your body might gain 2 pounds of muscle over 3 weeks while you lose about 5 pounds of fat. However, on the scale, it will just show a drop of 3 pounds.

You'll feel dejected that after all your hard work, all you lost is a measly 3 pounds. What you don't realize is that you lost 5 pounds of fat and gained muscle - and that is fantastic.

If you judge your progress based on the numbers on the scale, you'll not have the full picture.

Patience is a Virtue
Over and above that, during the first 30 days, your body is still adapting to the exercise and diet. It will take time for the weight to come off. Obsessing over the numbers will put unnecessary pressure on you to see fast results.

There is no rush. You're trying to make a lifestyle change and not just a weight change. Give yourself at least 90 days to stick with the plan. 90 days of being on a caloric deficit, clean diet, and a regular training program.

You will be amazed at how you look after 90 days. Depending on your weight, you may be lean and look great by then. If you were morbidly obese, you'd have lost a huge amount of weight and look and feel much better.

Look into the Future
You may still be overweight, but that's OK. You've made a ton of progress. Give yourself another 90 days to lose the rest. Keep going until you reach your ideal weight.

The scale should only act as a general mile marker in your journey. It shouldn't decide whether you stay on course or not. You do not even need a scale.

As long as you eat right and burn more calories than you consume, weight loss is inevitable if you keep going. Three months from now, you will thank yourself. Stay on track.

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The Most Motivating 6 Minutes of Your Life | David Goggins

3 Ways To Lose Excess Weight

Okay, here's a small experiment to try. In a random poll of folks you meet today ask them two questions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/103375541. How do you feel about your body?

2. What about your weight - do you want to lose, gain or maintain your current weight?

About 4 out of 5 will complain about how much heavier they are than the ideal body weight for their age and height. While others will talk about the bulges they want to get rid off. Most folks will also want to lose the excess weight that they think they are carrying. These will include people you think are in the ideal weight category or stick thin. The obsession with losing weight it seems is an universal problem of the modern world.

There are basically 3 ways to lose excess weight. One is strict diet control. Watching every calorie you consume will automatically translate into weight loss. When you consume less number of calories than you normally burn off, you will naturally lose weight.

Changing what you eat can also contribute to weight loss. Eating more protein and less processed carbs, more fresh produce and less sugar will help in your weight loss journey. It is both Math and Biology working here. So, eat healthy and cut calories by around 500 calories from your normal dietary requirement and you will be well on the way to weight loss.

This simple change will work for those who have to just lose about 5-10 lb excess weight. However, if you carry a lot more of excess weight you will need not only clean eating habits, strict dietary control and something more. Junk and processed food need to be completely eliminated from the equation if you seek a permanent way to lose weight.

Another way to lose weight is to lead a more active lifestyle. If you are a couch potato simply adding a morning walk will help shed the excess fats and pounds. If you already walk, then add half hour of jogging or running to your schedule, increase the speed of your walk or include cardio or strength training. Just move more. If you find yourself sitting for more than half hour, get up and walk to the water cooler to grab a glass of water. That brings to us to hydration. Drink plenty of water to keep the metabolism working in peak condition.

Apart from diet, cleaner eating and exercise is there a good way to lose weight? No. But you should get evaluated by health professional to find out if you have any health condition that is preventing your best efforts at weight loss. Proper evaluation should reveal any problems. But, don't blame it for you lack of progress in the weight loss.

Get advice from diet experts on a proper diet for your body type. Hire a professional to help you in the gym and to tailor the right kind of activities for you to lose weight.

A simple evaluation by professionals about your eating/exercise habits will reveal any lacunae. If you are consuming 3 cups of ice cream while staying well within your calorie limit you may still not be losing weight because those calories come from junk food.

You have to eat more natural and fresh foods as these don't just supply vital nutrients but need calories to digest them too. So, in effect you are actually burning even more. Sugary stuff don't need any effort from your body to digest.

You may also be underestimating your calorie intake. So, do it the right way by getting professional help.

Vaness Jones is an avid fitness enthusiast. She has been writing about weight loss, fitness and health for decades. She is all about healthy and safe ways of losing weight. To know more about calorie restricted weight loss - go to 1200 calorie Diet

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